Two Steps
by TFK-fan118
Summary: Avatar Aang said "When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change." So then, what happens at the highest point? At his lowest point, she appeared before him, restoring something he had lost. At her highest point, he appeared before her, giving her something she thought she already had. With just two steps, everything changes no matter how high or low the point.
1. Step One

"Get on your knees."

At the sudden demand, Tahno could only stare, jaw becoming slack. That was not the first thing he had expected upon being called out by the Avatar. Honestly, with after hearing news of Amon's defeat, he thought the Avatar only wanted to _personally_ tell him that she didn't go back on her promise. In the little time that he had known her, he realized that the Avatar was just as adamant about revealing her exploits as she was actually doing them. But here she was, ordering him to _get on his knees_. His brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed as if waiting for the punch line. It would never come. Those sea-foam blue eyes, although fiercely determined, were still naïve. The former bender mentally shook his head. "I assure you, Uh-vatar, this is no place for such an activity," his sardonic voice drawled as his hand motioned to their surroundings. The two were currently standing in a public park near a fountain. Sure, it was night and no one seemed to be around, but there was always a chance that someone could pop up. "Besides, I'm a classy type of guy who wants dinner first."

Judging from the crease her forehead gained, she did not get his implication. However, her look of confusion was soon replaced with a light scowl. Most likely, she didn't like the 'dinner' part of his words. "Just do what I say, pretty boy," she ordered, placing her fisted left hand on her hip. When he made no move to oblige, the Avatar took it upon herself to force him down. Begrudgingly, Tahno allowed this. "Close your eyes." She was quite the demanding girl. Suppressing a frown, the former bender did as he was told. He felt her hand on his shoulder, and then her thumb pressing against his forehead. Her touch was surprisingly cold, much like when she had doused his head with water during their Pro-bending match.

Tahno clenched his teeth inside his mouth just thinking back to his… _victory_. That feeling of dread—he had never felt that before in his life. He still had nightmares from that experience. After that night, after he had been questioned, Tahno had shut himself in his home. Having had lost everything, he hadn't felt a need to connect with the public. They certainly hadn't felt the need to connect either. His fans and fame had left him. Without his bending, they thought he was nothing. The sad thing was that he agreed with them. He was now only a shell of his former self thanks to Amon. _Empty_ and abandoned. That is what he felt like. To be cut off from his element was the worst feeling. To know he would never bend again… it hurt. Even the _sight_ of flowing water hurt. It wasn't fair.

Finally, the touch of the Avatar left him and in its place, there was warmth. Flowing through his body, flowing through his veins, something was running wild through his system. From his head to his fingertips, and all the way down to his toes, Tahno felt a familiar—albeit distant—rush. It was the feeling of seeing a best friend after years of separation. "What did you do?" he questioned as he opened his eyes. To his utter shock, the Avatar lifted her arms. The water in the fountain behind her shot up like a geyser. With the grace of a master waterbender, she commanded the mass of water to rush at him. It had been instinct. Due to years of learning to control his element, his body had hastily moved. Arms moving fluidly around him, Tahno spun his body, turning the water attack back on the Avatar.

It was only after the attack had been sent back and he had frozen the water before it reached him that he had realized what he was doing. Bending. He had the ability to bend again. The water lost its hardened state and splashed to the ground. Tahno watched as the dirt absorb the water for a moment before settling his shocked gaze on the Avatar. She was beaming, eyes squeezed shut because of the grin. Again, she lifted her arms, along with the water. She moved perfectly in her waterbending forms, causing the water to dance around her. Her arm extended in his direction, causing the water to spiral around before moving toward him. Tahno copied her forms and also danced with his element. It felt so good to bend again. It felt so right. The Avatar didn't stand by and just watch him bend. Her primary element compelled her. She, of course, joined in.

Tahno wasn't sure how much time had passed, but by the time they had stopped moving, they both were panting heavily and sweating profusely. Still, on top of their pillar of ice, under the light of the half moon, they grinned at one another. Honestly, he hadn't felt this way since he had been just a boy. With synchronized movements, the waterbenders slowly melted the ice beneath their feet. Once the water returned to its liquid form, she deposited it back into the fountain. Then she walked his way. "I restored your bending," she announced the obvious quite smugly. "You can thank me anytime."

"Thank you, Korra." It came out less condescending—more kindhearted—than he had wanted it to. The Avatar's grin faltered slightly at his tone, he could tell. It had made her a bit uncomfortable not hearing him speak expected words. Instead of amending what he said with a less than grateful remark—it's what his former self would have done and the Avatar was used to his former self—his body betrayed him. Two steps is all it took. With two steps, rational thought disappeared. With two steps, the space between them ceased to exist. With two steps, his arms were around her. With two steps, his pale lips were on her dark ones.

The muffled squeak wasn't lost to his ears. He ignored it, though, tightening his grip on her. Tahno tilted his head a bit, lips moving rhythmically against hers, trying to coax her into returning the kiss. She didn't. The Avatar only stood there, completely frozen. Slowly, the renewed bender pulled away, but only a few centimeters. He stared into her wide eyes, noting the apprehension within them. He frowned, and then kissed her again. Stupid. It was completely stupid of him. He could have passed the first one off, saying that he was just overwhelmed, but not now. Really, he couldn't help it. This was the woman who had restored his bending—restored his _life_. His hands slipped from her shoulder blades to her lower back as he pried her mouth open. There was no resistance to him sliding his tongue in, tasting her. Tasting the sweet, along with remnants of a spice he had never tasted before, made him continue, though he knew it was wrong. A cross between a moan and a growl erupted from her throat and tickled their connected tongues. At last, he pulled away again. The Avatar appeared to be quite dazed. "Ta… Tahno…" she murmured. Then her expression of confusion turned angry. "_Tahno_!" With a harsh shove, the Avatar sent him to the ground. How did a girl get so _strong_? Grimacing, the former Wolfbat touched his chest. More than likely, a bruise would form. "What the hell do you think you're _doing_?!"

He felt himself smirk as he stood. "Relax, little girl," he advised. Paying no heed, she furiously wiped at her mouth. Though, try as she might, she couldn't wipe the blush from her cheeks. "I was only showing my thanks." She glared his way, looking as though she might attack him. Tahno warily stepped away.

"That's _not_ how you thank people!" she screeched. "I have a _boyfriend_!"

"Yeah…? What's his name?" Tahno asked, genuinely curious. However, her response was mere hesitant jumbled nonsense. "You don't have to lie. I know you liked it."

"I did _not_! His name is _Mako_!" Like a small child, she stomped her foot against the ground. The ground rumbled underneath his feet before he was launched upward due to her bending the earth. He crashed hard, knowing he was going to feel even more damage in the morning. For now, he was momentarily disoriented by having the wind knocked out of him. "You're such a… a _douchebender_!" He heard her hasty departing footsteps. After a moment—or two—Tahno sat up. He sighed, trying to nurse his aching back. Though it had been painful, he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. His gaze shifted up to the moon.

"Thanks, Avatar Korra," he whispered. "I owe you one."

0-0

This is the result of looking at too many videos of Tahno and Korra before bed. I had a lingering dream, and so I just had to write it out... Oh hell, who am I kidding? I think I've become obsessed with this pairing. Perhaps it's to spite the canon ship of Makorra? Anyway, I hope Bryke decides to bring Tahno back for the next books. That'd be awesome. I might even forgive them for that whole Kataang thing.


	2. Step Two

_I owe you one, Avatar Korra._

Once again, Korra found herself pacing in her room. More than once, she crossed and uncrossed her arms as she moved back and forth. A frustrated sigh came from her mouth. The young Avatar practically threw herself on her bed. Why was this _happening_? It had already been a full three days, and yet she couldn't forget. Not without lack of _trying_, mind you. Meditation hadn't cut it for her this time around. Ever since she had achieved the Avatar state, clearing her mind had been easier, but now meditation felt _impossible_. This was _his_ entire fault. If he had only shown up with the rest of the people, whom had had their bending taken away, she wouldn't have felt the need to seek him out instead. Really, she couldn't help it. Somewhere in between restoring bending, she had thought of him. _You've gotta get him for me_, his words like a whisper had echoed in her mind as she had watched a firebender demonstrate that his abilities had returned. Actually, that firebender had been a member of the White Falls Wolfbats. Though, she couldn't remember the name to match the face. No matter how much of a jerkbender he had been, no one deserved to have their bending ripped away from them. Korra, herself, had felt the _horror_ of it. The experience, however short, hurt. She could only imagine what he had felt after _weeks_ without his element.

However, Tahno hadn't shown up. After a week without his appearance and the number of benders had decreased, Korra had found herself getting worried. That last time she had seen him, he looked completely different from his arrogant self. It had been like his very spirit had been snatched away. Though brief, she had a thought flash through her mind. What if he had taken his life? She had quickly disposed such a thought. A guy like Tahno, who believed he was the gods' gift to the world, wouldn't have left it end in that way. Still, that small thought compelled her to seek him out. Admittedly, she had felt relief just seeing his face that night. The dark bags under his eyes weren't as prominent as they had been. That had been a good sign. His clueless expression had given him away from the beginning. He had no idea about her ability to restore bending. Korra had guessed that he hadn't kept up with the news, otherwise he would have shown his pretty boy face.

He had been so surprised, too. That look on his face had been enough to quell her irritation with him for not listening to a radio. But then he had to go and ruin that by kissing her. _Twice_. _"That stupid…!"_ Korra growled in thought. Not only was she angry with him, but she was angry with herself as well. She hadn't _stopped_ him. The Avatar pushed herself into a sitting position. Slowly, her fingers pushed against her lips. The first one had caught her completely off guard. The second one had sent her spiraling off the edge. It had felt _electrifying_, but not in the same way she had felt fighting Equalists with their shocker gloves. She hadn't felt anything like that before. Mako's kisses were never that- Snarling, Korra punched her pillow several times. She tried many times to forget about it. She had done many things to pretend that it hadn't happened. Why had he used his _tongue_?!

Panting just a bit, Korra stopped, glaring down at her pillow. She picked it up before smashing her face in it and allowing herself to scream. This whole ordeal would have been partly okay had it not been for the _dreams_. Dreams that went _just a bit_ further than that kiss were _not_ okay. It was because of those dreams that her nights were restless. It was because of those dreams that she had felt horribly _guilty_. "Korra…?" Flinching, the young Avatar lowered her arms and looked towards her door. His voice came again. As if her body had been struck, she winced. "Are you okay in there?"

"I'm… I'm fine, Mako," she replied, uneasily. "Just fell out of bed!"

"… Can I come in?"

Korra was hesitant on answering him, but she did allow him to enter her room. Her gaze averted to the open window. "Is Bolin still asleep?" she asked. Feeling the bed shift under his weight, the Avatar turned her attention back to her boyfriend. Mako jokingly commented that his brother could sleep through the screeching of a horde of wolfbats. The firebender didn't seem to realize that Korra blanched at the mention of that certain fauna. She awkwardly laughed along with him. "Yeah…"

"Hey, is there something going on with you?" Mako asked. Korra shrugged and shook her head—a vague answer, but it was an answer. "You've been… off for a couple of days now. Is there something you want to talk about?"

"Not… particularly."

Mako became silent for a moment. Then he leaned forward, hand resting on her knee. "I'm worried about you, Korra," he murmured before pressing his lips against hers. When he pulled away, the young Avatar sighed softly though her nose, and then told him that he didn't need to worry. She forced a smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He returned her smile as well as her kiss. Like all the other kisses they shared, it was nice. Like all the other kisses, this one was… just nice. Korra mentally swatted that thought aside. She liked kissing Mako. Really.

But he would always pull away before things got… heated. Not tonight, though. She would do it. Definitely. A flash of Tahno appeared in her mind. He had seemed so confident the second time he had kissed her. She wanted to try feeling that with Mako. The moment her tongue darted out and grazed his lower lip, he reared his head back, surprise showing on his face. He blinked a couple of times, cheeks gaining a pink hue. Two steps is all it took. With two steps, doubt crept in. With two steps, an unfamiliar coldness had replaced the warm body of the firebender between her arms. With two steps, a wedge had been formed. With two steps, she had almost _felt_ the universe shift. "Wh-What?" she sputtered, confused with his reaction.

"_Ah_, nothing… It's late, so I should probably head back." His rushed sentence only caused more confusion. Mako rubbed the back of his neck, backing further away from her. "I'll—I'll see you in the morning." Then he was gone. Korra could only stare slack-jawed at her sliding door. What was _that_ about?! She had always been the one to initiate their kisses. _Why_ had he been _so_ awkward about it this time around? For as long as he and Asami had dated, she was sure that they shared a number of kisses that went beyond just kissing. In fact, she was _certain_. She had happened upon an embarrassing—and infuriating—conversation between Asami and Ikki. The little troll had wanted to know all about how they had showed their affection for one another, to which Asami broke down and told. But back to the matter at hand… Why didn't Mako want to go further with kissing like he did with his ex-girlfriend? Speaking of the Sato heir, she had gone back to her mansion, intending to fulfill her duty of rebuilding her company's reputation. Had Korra been too fast for him so soon after breaking up with Asami? What that _it_?

Korra wanted to _scream_.

Of course, she couldn't do it here, not on this island. Tenzin would have her head if his newborn child awoke because of her frustrations. She needed to get away. The air around her suddenly felt stifling. Frowning, the young Avatar stood up and went over to her window. The cool breeze tickled her skin, causing goose bumps to form. For a moment, she closed her eyes, listening. At night, the crashing waves had seemed to penetrate her ears and lure her into slumber. However, tonight, it was though the water was calling out to her. Slowly, Korra opened her eyes. She moved quickly pass her window. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she broke out into a run. She ran faster and harder than she had run before. Blood pumping furiously through her veins, she didn't hesitant in leaping from the cliff with her arms spread wide. As the water's surface neared, Korra moved her arms forward so that her body was in position to dive. Swimming came as a second nature for her, but right now she wasn't in the mood for a relaxing swim. Bending the water around her, the Avatar propelled herself forward. She didn't stop until she had reached her destination.

Aang Memorial Island.

For several moments, Korra panted, and then she stared up at the massive statue of her previous life. It was here that she first had a vision of Aang… after the fear of Amon's ability had been instilled in her. Her body shivered and not because of the wind blowing against her wet skin. The threat of Amon was gone, but it would take some time before she would get over that frightening ability of his. After she calmed down, she bent the water off her body. She shifted her gaze to Republic City. It was still aglow, alive with the life of the night cat owls. Still, there weren't any citizens on this small island. The museum had been closed for the night. She had the perfect spot. And so without notice, Korra inhaled, and then let out a mighty yell.

Her loud voice caused many sparrowkeets to fly off in fright, but she continued to scream until she was out of breath, and then she screamed some more until she felt the burn in her lungs. Everything had been going _so_ well. Amon was out. The Equalists' numbers were dwindling, according to the reinstated Chief Bei Fong. She had learned how to airbend. She had achieved the _Avatar State_ for Yue's sake. So why did the spirits find it necessary for change, _complicating_ her life after everything that had happened? Korra had half a mind to contact her previous life, but she didn't feel like hearing vague remarks from Aang. He tended to do that. A lot.

"What are you doing?" Immediately, her screaming was cut short. Her body tensed, recognizing that voice. It was the voice that haunted her dreams—the voice that had sent her body convulsing. So close… Too close. Eyes widening, Korra sharply turned, aiming a fist right between his smug eyes. But they weren't smug. If anything, he looked stunned by the fact that her fist loomed closer and closer. Still, he managed to dodge the attack by sliding his dominant foot back. For a moment, she only stood there, fist still leveled with his eyes. Then his voice broke through the tense silence. "Good to see you again, too, Uh-vatar."

"Tahno," Korra bit out, dropping her arm. "What are _you_ doing here?" It was her chance to get a good look at him. The last time she had seen him, he looked a mess. Now, he looked a lot better—back to his former self, ridiculous glossy curl and all. He didn't appear to have so much eyeliner on, though.

"Pardon me for thinking this was a public place," he retorted, narrowing his eyes a bit. However, his pale eyes weren't hostile at all. "After healers told me that there was nothing they could do, I came here a lot, a part of me hoping that…" He trailed off. Korra didn't need him to finish. She knew exactly what he meant. But in the end, it hadn't been Aang. It had been _her_. "Anyway, now it's just a habit. I didn't think anyone would be here… screaming their head off. Frustrated?" How could he say that when he _was_ the reason?

"This is _your_ fault! You kissed me!" Korra shouted.

"It was _just_ a kiss. Surely you and that Fire Rat have-"

"NO!" she blurted out before she could stop herself. Damn it. Glaring heatedly, the young Avatar pointed a finger. "You shouldn't have kissed me! You just _shouldn't_ have!"

"It happened. Make a bridge and get over it." He smirked. "Or is it… you can't because it was the best you've ever had?" This obnoxious little…!

"I can see you haven't changed at all!" Korra frowned and crossed her arms. "Maybe I shouldn't have returned your bending."

"I _have_ changed." The sincerity and slight anger in his voice caused her irritation to falter. "Returning my bending—no, returning bending to those who lost it—is one of the best things you'll do in your lifetime. Driving away nightmares is-" Most likely, Tahno believed he had said too much, so he abruptly stopped. He sharply turned away from her and began to walk away. Korra felt a bit panicked at his retreating back. For some reason, she didn't want him to go just yet.

"You still have nightmares, don't you?" she questioned. He stopped. "That's something we have in common." Tahno slowly turned, shock etched on his face. "Amon took my bending away from me." Korra's gaze lowered to the ground. She bit her lower lip, remembering how she felt so… vulnerable and afraid. "Things would have turned out differently if my last element—air—hadn't been unblocked." Subconsciously, her arms wrapped around her own body. "I'm sorry I said that. I shouldn't have said it, especially to you. Being surrounded by your element, but not being able to control it—even the sight of water must have caused pain."

"You don't need to pity me anymore. I'm all better," Tahno replied with a shrug.

"I do not _pity_ you! I'm just trying to… to sympathize!"

"That is _literally_ the _same thing_, little girl."

"_No one_ asked you, curl for brains!"

"You don't have to pity me in order to receive more of my… _thanks_."

"Th-That's not it! That's _totally_ not it!"

Her feeble sputtering had been ignored because Tahno had taken several strides in her direction, closing the distance. He leaned forward, causing Korra to lean back. Still, their faces were mere inches apart. The young Avatar swallowed hard, realizing her legs were trembling. She felt heat rising to her cheeks and no amount of regulating her inner fire could push that heat back down. His pale blue—almost silver, she couldn't help but notice—eyes bore into hers. She _almost_ felt self-conscious. "_Oh_…?" He smirked, arrogant as always. "I beg to differ, Uh-vatar." Body tensed, she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for it. However, it didn't come. Slowly, Korra opened her eyes to see Tahno slowly rearing his head back. "But all you have to is ask… or take it by force, as you tend to do. Either way, I wouldn't mind." A small peck to her cheek sent the young Avatar into a tizzy. "I'd love to bend whatever water that's inside of you." Fuming and embarrassed, the young Avatar shot several fire blasts his way. Tahno merely danced out of danger, keeping that infuriating impudent smile on his face.

"The _only_ bending you'll be doing is _over_!"

"You've really got to watch what you say in front of me. I might just take you up on your offer. Boyfriend or not." Boyfriend…? What—oh, _Tui's scales_, she had forgotten. Damn this pretty boy! With a two-finger salute, the waterbender took his leave. Though he wasn't laughing, Korra could just sense the mirth coming off him in _waves_.

"You monkey-feathering chump…!" she called out to him. _Monkey-feathering_…? Where did _that_ come from?! The young Avatar crossed her arms, watching his retreating back until she could no longer see it. Gradually, her body relaxed and her expression softened. Despite the way they had parted ways, she had to admit that she did feel a bit better. Whether it was from screaming or Tahno or a combination or both, she was still deciding. Korra sighed, and then turned, intending on heading back to Air Temple Island.

She wasn't aware of the smile on her face.

0-0

This was supposed to be a two-shot, but... in my head, it has expanded, so I'm probably going to write more, whether it be mere fluff between them or a full-fledged story with a plot. Admittedly, Tahnorra is probably my new Zutara. Seriously, just look at the _similarities_!


	3. Rise and Fall

It was the same.

Tahno stared. Korra remained blissfully unaware, perfectly content with her sleeping position. _Korra_… These last few nights, it had become easier to refer to her by name and not her title. He had been awake for about four minutes now. He had always awoken before the Avatar, wondering how she had come into his arms. It was the same every morning. It was the same every night. They would meet here, talk, argue, bend, and sleep not having to anticipate nightmares. Aang Memorial Island had become their sanctuary. It would end, though. One day, she wouldn't need to cling to him like this. One day, they would both move on. Until that day came, they would always have this. Tahno wasn't necessarily opposed to this.

Over the course of these nights, this tomboy had become _pretty_ in his eyes. Initially, he had questioned himself, wondering if he had gone mad. After all, their first encounter hadn't been exactly pleasant. He had seen her from across the room. Immediately, he had realized who she was. The Avatar—waterbender for the Fire Ferrets—his enemy. But she had only been a little girl. Admittedly, the way she had reacted to his taunts had been amusing. Being that close to her face, he had thought she had been cute. That thought had immediately disappeared when she had signaled for her large polar bear dog. A scowl surfaced, recalling that embarrassing moment.

Korra suddenly shifted her position, moving her head from his shoulder to his chest. She groaned lightly, fingers gripping his shirt, before settling down again. Tahno's scowl was replaced by a light smile. After getting to know her, though, there were many things he had found cute. Like the way she crinkled her nose when she became upset and confused. Or like when she crossed her arms and fixed a smug grin on her face. Or when she cuddled like this. Tahno had always disliked cuddling. It had become a nuisance to him having to disentangle himself from whatever woman had been lucky enough to have him for the night. With Korra, it was different. He hadn't felt the need to slip away from her. He hadn't felt the urge to sneer because of smeared makeup on his skin. It was different waking up with her as opposed to others. Refreshing. Admittedly, Tahno had played with the idea of making the Avatar _his girl_. Many times, he had pictured himself running his fingers through her hair and kissing her softly. Her unique taste wasn't exactly hard to forget. Still, Korra had always misunderstood his flirting. And there was always that firebender, Nako, or something stupid like that. When he had mentioned him once, in an offhanded sort of way, she had become silent, and then had lashed out with her bending. Something must have happened between them. Tahno had decided not to pry. That had been a little over a week ago.

Tahno shifted his gaze up to the morning sky. Now that he thought about it, they've been doing this for half a month now. He shouldn't get used to this, but he had a feeling that he already was. Korra groaned again. As he knew her sleeping habits, he realized that she was about to wake up. Feigning sleep had always been his reaction. Reason being, the first time it had happened, Korra had frozen, screamed, and punched him, followed by earthbending. Sure he had said some 'smartass' remark, but had he truly deserved such a reaction? As that hadn't been a good experienced, Tahno had opted not to be awake when she woke up.

As per usual, Korra awoke with a yawn. She lifted her head before turning it left to right. Then she realized their bodies' positions. She froze. Even her breathing had stopped. This was all, of course, normal. It happened most mornings. "Tahno…" Unlike most mornings, she sighed in content and _relaxed_. He had to force his eyebrows not to shoot up in surprise. She moved again, this time lifting her arm. Her fingers lightly pushed aside the hair that partially covered the right side of his face. Her knuckles had brushed against his skin, causing him to involuntarily shudder. She immediately pulled her hand away and even slipped out of his grasp like water. With such quick movement, he had no choice but to pretend to wake up. "Are… Are you awake?"

"What time is it?" Tahno asked, covering a fake yawn. Korra breathed a sigh of relief. She was so obvious. After clearing her throat, she stated the obvious by saying it was still early. He stood up and stretched as he listened to the Avatar ramble on about her airbending training. This was normal, too. Usually, it would transition to her excuse to leave. "Uh-vatar," he interrupted her senseless rambling. It was going to take a bit more time for him to be comfortable with saying her name out loud. She abruptly pursed her lips. "I'm sore, cold, and hungry. Let's cut this short so I can stretch and eat before work, _huh_?"

"You… work? As in a _job_?" Korra didn't try to keep the laughter from her voice.

"Well, we can't all be freeloaders, Uh-vatar." She immediately took offense to the implication. Her angry retorts caused a smirk to surface on Tahno's face. This only caused Korra to make more angry remarks, something about his hair. For a person who disliked his hairstyle so much, she sure did like making comments about it with such a dopey look on her face. It made him think back to the way she had touched his hair, which happened less than two minutes ago. Why had she done such a thing? The light touch had felt more—just _more_—than anything he had done with… well, _anyone_ in the past. It had felt more riveting than when his bending had been returned to him. But how could that be…? There was nothing beyond bending for him. That was a fact that he had realized soon after Amon had gotten to him.

Tahno picked up his discarded coat, which had been removed sometime during the night. Korra's large water tribe parka had been sprawled on the ground next to his leather coat. Despite the cold, their sparring matches tended to heat their bodies up, leaving them to remove their heavy outer layer of clothing. "It's been fun." He tossed her the parka. It landed on her head, causing her to yelp. The Avatar hastily pulled the parka from her head and fixed a glare on him. By that time, he was already walking away.

"H-Hey, wait a second!" He halted and turned his head slightly. Korra appeared quite flustered. Her eyes were trained on the ground. Her arms clutched her parka against her torso. "You haven't—I mean, you always…" Tahno raised a brow. This hesitance wasn't like the little girl had he come to know. The corner of his lips quirked, realizing what she had been trying to say. Before parting ways, he had always managed to give a teasing kiss to her cheek, and then evade whatever retaliation she had given. He hadn't given it much thought. It was just another one of their games. But it appeared that Korra very much liked it. So he had discovered another _cute_ thing about her. Just because she had always misunderstood his flirting hadn't meant she hadn't been curious. He chuckled in amusement, causing her gaze to snap back up to glare. "What's so funny?!" she asked hotly.

"You," Tahno answered, turning to face her completely. "You are, sweetheart." He spread his arms wide. "Why don't you stop doing this to yourself and just leap into my arms already?" Her response was literally fire. Anticipating it, though, he managed to dodge the attack by pushing himself from the ground. He flipped and twisted midair, landing perfectly safe behind her. Before she could react, the waterbender embraced her and held on tightly. Cheek against cheek, he could feel the increase in heat of her skin. "Don't be so hasty, _Korra_." She gasped and shivered at the same time. "I'm just giving a bit of friendly advice. If you'd like, you can think of it as a glimpse into those… _private lessons_." Swift as it had been, the kiss to her cheek felt as though it had extended into his whole body. It felt as though he had been lying down, face up, in the Si Wong Desert, and then rainwater had dripped on his dry lips. His entire body had felt that.

The Avatar nearly growled as she jerked her body backwards. The sudden movement caused Tahno to lose his balance. He fell onto his back with the girl's body on top of his. She quickly moved, turning over to trap him. Tahno blinked twice before raising a brow. Already, his smirk had come back. Korra noticed and grew more irritated. "You are such a jerkbender!" she snarled, gripping his wrists and pinning them to the ground. He didn't mind. The Avatar just had a face where she could pull off being cute no matter the expression. "Why are so impossible?!"

"Talent, baby, pure talent."

Korra snorted, and then pushed herself up into a sitting position. Whether she realized it or not—and he was willing to bet that she didn't—she was now straddling him. Staring down at him, she appeared quite smug. "With so much talent, it's a wonder why you're always under me," she quipped.

"Believe me, Uh-vatar, I have no problem with that," Tahno retorted, mimicking her expression. She lowered her eyelids, but it wasn't exactly a glare. That's right, he thought. Become lost in his eyes. It was only fair since he found himself drowning in hers on a number of occasions. _Work_, his mind hissed, effectively bringing the trance to an end. "As much as I enjoy you on top, I really have to go now." Almost reluctantly, the Avatar released her hold on his wrists before removing herself from him. "Same time tonight?" He stood up, smoothing out his shirt before putting on his coat. Korra shrugged, and then nodded. "See you around, sweetheart."

0-0

Korra silently entered her room via window. Hopefully, everyone was still sleeping. The Avatar took this time to stretch, not having the chance on Aang Memorial Island. Her body tended to be relaxed around that jerkbender, until he riled her up to the point where she had to lash out. She knitted her eyebrows together, pausing in her stretch. Now that she thought about it, wasn't it strange to feel this way? Even in the beginning, actually, she had felt at ease. She had met arrogant jerks like him before. It had taken only seconds for her to react in a violent manner. But with Tahno, the first encounter had gone relatively smooth. Sure, the tension could have been cut with a knife, but the way he had move his body to accommodate hers felt… flowing. Korra abruptly shook her head. Why was she thinking about something like that, anyway? He had still screamed like a little girl when he had met Naga. She grinned, thinking about the squeal he had made. Perhaps she should give her animal companion her favorite meal today?

Just as Korra was rolling her shoulders, the door to her room slid open. Bolin's head popped in, and then his green eyes settled on her. He looked surprised to see her, which was weird because this was her room. "Korra…!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger. She raised a brow. "Where were you? Everyone's freaking out because Tenzin couldn't find you for morning meditation! You've been gone for three hours!"

Why in Yue's name had he wanted her to get up _that_ early? That was the initial reaction. Then "_Three_ hours…?!" Korra repeated. _Stupid_ Tahno…! She would have been here by the time Tenzin wanted to meditate if it hadn't been for him. "Well, I'm here and fine, so tell them to stop worrying." Bolin didn't move. He merely stared at her, frown on his face. "What?"

"This isn't the first time everyone has gone searching the island for you," he stated. "The first couple times, Tenzin let it slide, thinking you were getting in touch with, I don't know, Avatar things, but-"

"I _was_!" Korra blurted, startling the earthbender so much that he flinched. "_Um_, I mean, I can concentrate better off this island and on… Air Temple Island." The half-true left a bad taste in her mouth, or maybe it was the fact that she had revealed her place of comfort. Her secret. "If I knew I was causing you guys to scurry around like this, I would have said something sooner." The grin was faked, but it did its job of making Bolin feel at ease. "I'll let Tenzin know right now." On her way out of her room, Korra patted the earthbender on the shoulder. "Thanks, Bolin." As she moved further away from him, she could hear his mumbles, but couldn't understand him. He was probably only saying 'no problem' or something like that.

Korra continued on in search of her airbender teacher. However, who she came upon first was Mako. She found herself grimacing, but she didn't know the reason for it. He called her name, causing her to halt. He came to a stop in front of her. Uneasily, her gaze averted to the floor underneath them. "Where _were_ you? Everyone was worried sick! This is the sixth time in two weeks we haven't been able to find you!"

"No one told you to look for me," Korra retorted. "I'm the Avatar, but not everything I do needs to be recorded for the history books."

"This isn't about that. You could have, at least, told someone you were sneaking out at night," Mako replied, crossing his arms.

"I wasn't _sneaking_!" she lied, not being able to control her mouth. "And anyway, it has nothing to do with _you_!" He frowned, and then sighed heavily as though coming to a realization.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" Mako asked. Korra folded her arms over her chest and sharply pointed her chin away from him. He sighed again. "I knew it… Ever since last week, you've been purposefully ignoring me, and when you do talk to me, you're blowing everything I say out of proportion. Let's stop the pettiness and actually talk about what's going on. You shouldn't be so upset for no reason, Korra."

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry!" Her sarcasm was further emphasized by her exaggerated eye roll. "I thought it was perfectly natural to become upset after discovering that your boyfriend doesn't like kissing because it feels like kissing _Bolin_!" The firebender's eyes expanded, clearly shocked by the word vomit. Korra almost wanted to take it back, but then Mako lowered his gaze to the floor. He didn't deny it. His arms dropped to his sides. Hers did as well, but her fingernails dug into her palms, fists clenched so tightly that she could feel the furious pumping of her blood through her veins. "Yes, Mako! I heard everything!" He bowed his head, remaining silent.

It had been excruciatingly _embarrassing_. She had truly believed things had been going well between them. After Korra had tried to kiss Mako in that way, the following few days had been awkward—completely uncomfortable when talking with him. But suddenly, he had taken her aside, and without a word had kissed her so fanatically that she had felt almost dizzy. She had remembered feeling so happy afterwards. Mako had been as affectionate as he had been with Asami, minus the whole rubbing the noses thing. For just a few days, she had been walking on air, not literally, but close enough. Then she had overheard a conversation between her boyfriend and that little troll, Ikki. Training with Tenzin had finished early due to her going Avatar State when she hadn't gotten the airbending form down as quickly as she would have liked. With a roll of his eyes, Tenzin had dismissed her for a few minutes in favor of checking in on Pema and his newest family member.

It had been a complete accident. Ikki had the tendency of starting shit. Korra hadn't known how the conversation began, but what she had heard had devastated—no, _humiliated_ her. Mako had told Ikki that no matter how many times they had kissed, nothing changed. For him, it still felt as though he had been kissing a sibling. It had hurt. The airbender child had said something, but Korra honestly couldn't remember. Her reaction had been to run. She had run fast and hard, moving so quickly that she it had felt that she had made it to Aang Memorial Island in a blink of an eye. Then she had waited for hours, not moving until he had appeared. It had been the first time she had consciously clung to Tahno. Then he had gone and ruined it with some stupid comment about the 'fire rat' in question, leading her to strike him down with a beam of water, which, of course, caused the angry, yet relaxing, bending battle.

"Korra…" Mako began, squashing thoughts of the fair-skinned waterbender. The Avatar quickly remembered her anger towards the boy in front of her and her body tensed once again. "I-"

"Whatever you're thinking of saying, it won't make things _any_ better," Korra interrupted. She moved past him, making sure to bump his shoulder as she did.

"Korra!" He had the nerve to sound annoyed. Baring her teeth, she stopped and turned to face him. "Look—I'm really trying, alright? It's this way now, but eventually, with time, kissing won't be so bad. This can be fixed." Instead of providing comfort like he probably thought, his words only made her angrier.

"Eventually?!" Korra nearly screamed, nearing hysteria. "You think time will _fix_ the way you think when you kiss me?! You think _eventually_ you'll stop seeing me as a brother?! There's no fixing that, Mako!" She harshly shook her head. "There's no fixing _this_!"

"Korra, please…" He reached out to her. She stepped back. Whether it had been a subconscious movement or not, she didn't know. "I gave up being with Asami for you." At the mention of the Sato heir's name, the young Avatar grimaced. There was still lingering guilt within her, knowing that she had wronged Asami by kissing Mako that night. "I _want_ to like you." That's not good enough, she wanted to shout.

"That's…" Korra hesitated. She clenched her teeth and swallowed hard. "That's something we don't have in common anymore." As she said it, she realized how true it was. Not waiting to see his reaction, she turned her back on him and walked away.

She walked briskly, wanting to get away as quickly as possible. Korra found herself outside. In the open, she had been spotted by many members of the Air Acolytes. However, they hadn't approached her. Some scurried away, probably to alert Tenzin of her presence. Within a few minutes, the older bender was walking towards, appearing quite cross. She almost laughed. Knowing that stern expression quite well, she expected it. "Korra!" Tenzin didn't keep the aggravation from his voice. "Do you have _any_ idea-?!" He froze completely, shout caught in his throat. The master airbender shuffled over to her. His hands gripped her shoulders. "K-Korra…? Is everything alright? What is wrong?"

"_Huh_…?" Confused, the Avatar almost pushed him away. "What are you talking about, Tenzin?"

"You're crying, Korra. What has happened?"

She blinked, and then reached up to touch her face. Sure enough, liquid had been flowing down her cheeks. Without her knowledge—or permission—tears had welled up in her eyes and had fallen. Now that Tenzin had brought the fact to her attention, Korra could now feel the constricting of her throat. "I don't know, I-" She choked on a sob, and then completely fell into her teacher's arms. Unexpectedly, her break down had come.

Still, the fall had felt oddly bittersweet.

0-0


End file.
